Apple's New iPhone 5 Is Thinner, Lighter Than Before

Apple introduced its newest iPhone today, and it's thinner and larger than the last. The company also introduced a new line of iPods. NPR's Laura Sydell has more.

LAURA SYDELL, BYLINE: The new iPhone has a four-inch screen, and it's about 20 percent lighter. Apple CEO Tim Cook engaged in typical Apple boosting as he spoke about the iPhone 5.

TIM COOK: The thinnest, lightest and best iPhone we have ever shipped.

SYDELL: The new iPhones will range from $199 up to 399 with a two-year contract. But Apple has also reduced the price of the iPhone 4 and 4S. With a contract, Verizon and Sprint users will now be able to get a 4 for free. Forrester analyst Charles Golvin believes this is likely to get a lot more people on iPhone.

CHARLES GOLVIN: And there are a lot of people who are loyal to those carriers who haven't been able to afford an iPhone and now they're going to be able to get one for nothing.

SYDELL: Though the iPhone 5 is the thinnest yet from Apple, it's still not as thin as competitor Droid phones. Apple also released a new operating system for the phone. Jeff Wender, an analyst from Nielsen, also points out this includes software that will make it easier to shop.

JEFF WENDER: With passbook and some of these new software features, more and more people will integrate it in their lives not just for music, not just for using as a phone but really and truly using it for every part of their day-to-day life.

SYDELL: Apple is also releasing a new line of iPod Touch and Nano. Both will have bigger screens, and the iPod touch now has a movie camera and can be used to edit. Laura Sydell, NPR News, San Francisco. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.